1. Field of the Invention
The present invention involves a support tray for food and beverages. It is a tray specifically adapted to hold both a plate and a beverage container, e.g. wine glass, coffee cup, glass, in a weight distributed fashion. The present invention tray has left hand and right hand holding adaptations and may be permanent china, plastic ware or disposable.
2. Prior Art Statement
Trays have been utilized for centuries for carrying dishes, serving bowls, etc., and, in modern times, for many purposes including fast food service, party foods, cafeteria service, and the like. Specialty trays have more recently been developed for compartmentalizing the tray and for carrying specific items.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,219,144 issued to Gabriella Hagelberg describes a serving tray with a number of recesses in the form of bowls for components of a meal. A recess is provided for at least one dish and one is provided for a drinking vessel. A hole extends through Hagelberg's tray in a shape and size to form an opening for the insertion of the thumb of a hand so that the tray can be carried with the thumb on the upper side of the tray while the hand is placed under the tray bottom to support the underside of the tray. However, the thumb hole is in a corner to allow the hand to go under the tray and is not balanced at all. It also has no holes for the beverage vessel and thus it is top heavy and easily tipped during use. Finally, it is not left hand/right hand symmetrical.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,516,685 to Michael French sets forth a plate-type tray with a tapered plate section and a recess for receiving a drinking vessel. No provision is made for carrying a separate plate therein nor is there a provision for a thumb recess nor is there right hand/left hand interchangeability.
More recently U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,713 to Fredrick Phillips describes a serving tray with deep recesses for drinking vessels but does not address the other prior art shortcomings set forth above.
Thus, the prior art describes various specialty trays but none providing orifices for both dishes and beverage containers coupled with dual thumb recesses opposed to one another to provide balance and left hand/right hand reversibility or interchangeability.